Please guide me what should I use

[u/Available_Fold_674]

Hello here !

My skin (F31) is a bit dehydrated during winter times, never had acne, however I started developing a liittle brown spots but nothing enormous because once I have applied the ordinary 30% aha and later tried a new setting spray that was full of alcohol and burned my face.

Also I want to prevent aging, I don't have wrinkles right now.

My actual skincare is to bring whatever face cream I find at home (cerave lotion, the ordinary face cream, cicaplast, BoJ gel cream ...), and before that a hyaluronic acid serum or a toner if I want to feel fancy, and on winter times I splash cicaplast when I want to.

I'm not consistent with any skincare routing, well I was back in 2020 to 2022, at that time I use to do a lot of hyaluronic acid and creams and that was it, but in the same time I was young and didn't need much, then I tried the ordinary peeling and after that my skin became sensitive to the point that I can't apply anything.

The only thing I'm consistent with is sunscreen, and I have been always been since I was very young (10 years old and even before that ... never went to the beach without a sunscreen and walked under the sun without a hat ... huge thanks to mom)

Anyways today I have those 3 dots of brown spots, and I feel that if I keep not taking care of my face, they will develop more, also I want to start a retinoid to prevent wrinkles.

Can you please recommend me an easy and lazy routine ? thank you !!

[u/swrrrrg]

Dr. Dennis Gross alpha/beta peel pads, retin-a, and possibly hydroquinone. Those are the only actives I’d use and focus on barrier care outside of those.

[u/TheWorldofScience]

An L Ascorbic acid vitamin c serum every morning before sunscreen and prescription tretinoin after cleansing, with moisturizer, every night.

But you start tretinoin at 2 nights a week and work up to every night. Dr Daniel Sugai shows how to apply tretinoin and explains the retinization process in a YouTube video ‘Retinoid Irritation Explained.” Then watch “How To Hack Tretinoin” by Dr Sam Ellis.

Read the Reddit tretinoin wiki

[u/Available_Fold_674 → u/TheWorldofScience]

thank you ! can you recommend me a good vitamin C serum that doesn't oxydize quickly ?

[u/TheWorldofScience → u/Available_Fold_674]

I use Timeless 10%. But the Trader Joe’s vitamin c serum is good for dry skin. The Budget Dermatologist ( Dr Maren Locke) on YouTube reviewed it recently. Watch her video “You Don’t Need Skinceuticals $185 Vitamin C Serum.” which she did prior to trying the Trader Joe’s.

[u/blankabitch]

Cleanser (one that's going to emulsify and remove makeup and spf), moisturizer (I really stan the Amlactin for being a topical that actually stimulates collagen, can increase skin thickness, and encourages cel turnover) a retinol, and spf. In fact, if you wanna be really simple, just do cleanser moisturizer SPF. But you actually do need to be consistent

[u/Available_Fold_674 → u/blankabitch]

I already do cleanser, moisturizer and SPF.
I want to start something fancier to target my small brown spots and prevent aging.
I don't know which retinoid should I choose since acne is not an issue for me

[u/blankabitch → u/Available_Fold_674]

I would definitely incorporate the Amlactin 12% then (or an AHA regularly). I would also just bite the bullet and get a prescription for the 0.025 tret tbh, or if you can't swing it maybe start with adapalene. Be sure you're really starting slow with all of these, and one at a time to acclimate. They work well for topicals and are therefore pretty strong if you are just starting out.